Friday, September 30, 2011

My brother on nail polish

My brother, the former Marine, is a man’s man.
He’s into guns and those McFarlane military figurines.
And football. And guns.
So it wasn’t a surprise that he expressed his disgust when I told him that I spent $16 on a bottle of Deborah Lippman nail polish.
“It’s Glitter in the Air,” I told him. “There’s nothing like it on the market!”
He wasn’t impressed.
“16!?” He asked. “You better be able to sniff your nail and get a high.”
Men.

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Song of the Day: Aerosmith's "Dream On"



Aerosmith's "Dream On" is one of my fave rock songs ever and that's why it's today's "Song of the Day."
I'm a big dreamer and believe wholehearteldy in becoming your dreams, no matter how difficult they might be to accomplish or what other people say.
So, dream on and enjoy today's SOD!!

Monday, September 26, 2011

Salma Hayek Nuance shadow and liner review



I love Salma Hayek as an actress and was delighted to know that she recently launched a new cosmetic line.
The line, which is called Salma Hayek Nuance, is sold exclusively through CVS and was inspired by Salma’s grandmother.
Products include make-up, skincare and haircare.
I scooped up an eyeshadow duo ($10) and a gel eyeliner pencil ($10) through a BOGO free deal CVS had a few weeks ago.

Here are swatches:



And after a water test:



And here's are a couple of FOTD's using the shadow and liner:




I used the plum shade and a light brown from a discontinued Physicians Formula shadow duo.

The products feature some natural ingredients, are fragrance-free and are not tested on animals. I like, I like.
The gel liner was OK. (Urban Decay’s 24/7 liners have spoiled me so nothing will ever be as good as them!)
But the Nuance liner did stay put all day and is waterproof.
The shadow duo was another story, though. I loved the plum shade. LOVED it!!
But not the other shade, which was too light and came off too easily after my water test.
Overall, I’m not sure if I’ll buy any more Nuance products. I found the line to be mediocre for a drug store brand.
I will be wearing the heck out of the plum eyeshadow this fall, though.

FTC Disclosure: I paid for the product with my own funds.

Friday, September 23, 2011

Time For Five: Things I’m into right now

1. Philosophy Grace: This was a birthday gift from my big brother. He knows I like Philosophy products. And he knew I’d like this. How can I resist the floral notes? It’s very feminine and mature. Good pick, Keith. You get brownie points for this gift.



2. Colorful pens: I’m a writer and I love writing in colorful ink. I just makes the words on my notepad look pretty. Sounds weird but I’m a color person. I’m NOT afraid to wear bold hues and when I purchase a house, I'll paint every room a different color. Man, I love colorful writing utensils. I don’t care how corny this sounds but they make me happy!



3. Trader Joe’s Seaweed Snack: Ok, I’m convinced that Trader Joe’s (who is he anyway??) put crack in his seaweed snacks because I’m hooked (read: HOOKED!) I usually have a package with a cup of tea because they're so light. Originally, I started out buying a couple packages but now I buy about ten. They only cost a dollar and must last me for two weeks!


Source: Amazon.com

4. My Lippie Collection: You’ve seen my prized nail polish collection, now let me introduce you to my lippie collection. I own lots of lip glosses and lipsticks, all of which I’ve come to appreciate in recent years.



5. Tree Hut shower gel: I’m a sucker for almonds and honey in my tummy­­­-- and on my body! That’s why I was excited to try out Tree Hut’s new moisturizing shower gel. Got this baby from Ulta for about $7. It smells divine! Almost too good to eat. Works just as well, too. Going to buy another bottle soon because I’m almost done with this one.



FTC Disclosure: I paid for the products with my own funds.

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Ulta haul: Pixel and essence polishes



I haven’t been to Ulta in a minute, but I recently raided the store as soon as I got my monthly brochure, which always comes with a $3.50 off $10 coupon.
Ulta had lots of new products on their shelves, including a new nail polish brand called Pixel. Yay!
I bought two Pixel polishes, an essence polish and pencil sharpener.

The Pixel polish line is DBP, toulene, and formaldehyde-free.
It features 72 shades at $2.50 a pop.
I bought “Turquoise the Noise” and “Blue Ray Baby.”
“Blue Ray Baby” is a first cousin to my fave polish of all time, Sephora by OPI’s “Teal We Meet Again,” but it has a little less green in it.



“Turquoise the Noise” is a pretty medium blue that’s a few shades lighter than Sally Hansen’s “Blue Me Away.”

Here's a swatch:


The Pixel formulas were creamy but a tad streaky.
The polishes lasted for about a week.
I love how cute and little the bottle is.
Who finishes a big bottle of polish anyways?

And I had to scoop up a bottle of essence polish because I’ve been seeing good things about it all over the beauty blogosphere.
Plus, I’ve never bought any of their polishes before.
I like the formula on this one too. And at 99 cents, the price is A-OK with me.
“Breakthrough” reminds me of a Barbie purple or pink. It’s OK. I’m not in love with it though.

Here a “Breakthrough” swatch:



Which polishes do you like? When was your last Ulta haul? Have you tried Pixel or essence polishes before? If so, what were your experiences?

FTC Disclosure: I paid for all products with my own funds.

Monday, September 19, 2011

Coffee on my lips? Sure, if it's Rimmel London's "Shimmering Coffee"

I don’t think I’ve ever owned a brown lipstick.
Hold on for a sec. Lemme think. Nope, no brown lippies in my past.
So I was excited to come across Rimmel London’s “Shimmering Coffee” lipstick that I recently found in Target’s clearance section.
I got it for free with a coupon. Not bad for the price. Now let’s see how this baby performed.

Here’s a swatch:



And on my lips:



This lippie is not too loud, which I like. That makes it perfect for work. Fall, too.
I found the lipstick to be moisturizing, durable and it surprisingly smells sweet.
There is subtle shimmer in the lipstick but it’s very faint, which isn’t a bad thing.
Overall, this is another decent little lippie I recently bought.
I’m defintely a tea girl but have gone “googoogaga” over Rimmel London’s “Shimmering Coffee.”

FTC Disclosure: I paid for the product with my own funds.

Friday, September 16, 2011

Check out my cheap, chic coupon pouch



I NEVER leave my apartment without my coupon pouch.
Hey, you never know what’s gonna be on sale or clearance and I like to be prepared for most situations.
With that said, I got tired of carrying around the same, tired, old, tattered pouch.
Here’s what it looked like:



In it’s previous lifetime, the pouch contained thank you cards and envelopes.
I bought it from Marshall’s for several dollars a couple of years ago (if I remember correctly).
It was time for a change so I upgraded to this pink cutie from Target.
Only cost me a dollar. And came with lables.

Here are my coupons in their new home:



Doesn’t it look better? More organized?

How do you organize your coupons?

FTC Disclosure:
I paid for the product with my own funds.

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

My fave Nick Ashford songs

Recently, the world lost one of the greatest songwriters ever when Nick Ashford died from complications of throat cancer.
He and wife Valerie Simpson penned some of the most beautiful songs ever for Ray Charles, Dianna Ross, Marvin Gaye and Chaka Khan.
They even wrote classics for themselves.
I remember listening to their radio show on WBLS when I was a little girl and living in New York.
They played old school jams and had this chemistry that was apparent even on their radio show.
Here are some of my fave Ashford and Simpson songs and RIP Nick:

"I'm Every Woman" by Chaka Khan:


"Ain't No Mountain High Enough" by Marvin Gaye and Tammy Terrell:


"Solid" by Ashford and Simpson:

Monday, September 12, 2011

Origins’ ginger soap is alright with me



I love all things ginger: Cookies. Beer. Candy.
Now, I’ll add soap to the list.
No silly. I don’t eat ginger soap!
But I do like Origins’ ginger soap on my body.
I recently picked up this bar from Marshall’s for about $10.
Man, this soap is huge. It’s bigger than my hand!
And it packs a whole lot of punch in the shower too.
Thoroughly cleanses. Smells good. Also lasts a long time.
I like that the ginger smell doesn’t overpower me.
It’s not tested on animals. I also like that the soap is formulated without parabens, phthalates, paraffin and synthetic colors and fragrances.
It all works for me!

FTC Disclosure: I paid for the product with my own funds.

Friday, September 9, 2011

Using up my products and a "No/Low Buy" challenge



I've been on an unofficial "No/Low-Buy" beauty product challenge lately.
I did it with nail polish in May and am trying to see if I can do the same thing with my other beauty goodies.
So far, it's been working out pretty well.
Over the past two months or so, I've been able to use lots of stuff I've had lying around in my bathroom and bedroom and save some moolah!
Here's a list of what I've used up so far:

-EfaGold Coconut Oil
-CoverGirl Natureluxe glossbalm
-Burt's Bees' lip balm
-Pacifica Coconut Body Butter (LOVE this stuff!!!)
-Kat Von D "Cathedral" lipstick sample
-Carmex Moisture Plus lip balm
-Roland Avocado Oil
-Target brand nail polish remover
-Shea Moisture's Shea Butter
-Burt's Bees' Almond Milk Beeswax Hand Creme

Here's a picture of some other products I've been able to use up:


These include:
-Neutrogena naturals' fresh cleansing makeup remover
-The Body Shop's Satsuma body butter
-Josie Maran's Argan Oil Moisturizing Stick

I'm going to continue this challenge for the rest of the month and I'll keep you updated on my progress.

Have you ever attempted a "No/Low-Buy Challenge" before? If so, how was your experience?

FTC Disclosure:
I paid for the products with my own funds.

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Song of the Day: "Brick House"



Every time I'm driving around, this song comes on the radio.
Every. Single. Time.
I swear!!
So that's why the Commodores' "Brick House" is today's "Song of the Day."
Plus, I've gotten curves since I've blossomed into my mid-20s and want to give a shout out to all my lovely lady lumps.
The curves I have are ones I didn't have when I was a distance-running twig in high school.
I've always thought that aint nothing wrong with a little bit of meat and I'm proud of my body.
No complaints. At all.
So cheers to all of you lovely ladies "...built like and Amazon..." because I'm one of them:)

Monday, September 5, 2011

I’m madly in love with red, matte-lips

Call me "Tardy for the Party" but I’m just now appreciating matte red lips.
There’s something so powerful, sexy and fierce about them.
The look says a lot without saying a lot.
It's bold. Scary. Daring.
I love a cherry-painted kisser with minimal make-up, black eye-liner and mascara, and a touch of blush.
Usually, I wear red lipstick when going out to the movies or dinner.
I’m too scared to wear it to work. I ain't ready yet.
I own three tubes of red lipstick in my beauty arsenal: Buxom's "Barcelona," Sally Hansen's "Golden Berry," and NYX's "A Tribute to Marilyn."
Now let's take a look at these scarlet lippies in action on my lips!

First up, we have Buxom's Big & Healthy "Barcelona" lipstick:


Next is Sally Hansen's "Golden Berry" lipstick:


And last but not least, "Tribute to Marilyn" from NYX:


My fave is Buxom's "Barcelona." I wear this lippie the most and I think this red is more complimentary against my brown skin than the others. Plus, it has a cute little sharpener hidden at the end-cap of the lipstick tube.

Are you a fan of the red, matte lip too? What’s your fave red lipstick?

FTC Disclosure: I previously paid for all products in this post with my own funds.

Friday, September 2, 2011

Song of the Day: "You and the Music"



I love me some Donald Byrd and always find comfort and escape in his music.
His tunes have been sampled by so many people, including Erykah Badu, Naughty by Nature, Ludacris and Madlib.
"You and the Music" is one of my favorite songs by him.
It's hard, urban and very hip hop to me.
I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!